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Comparison of Chemotherapy Combinations for Colon Cancer
Name of the Trial
Phase III Randomized Study of Irinotecan (CPT-11) and/or Oxaliplatin (OXAL)
Plus 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)/Leucovorin (CF) with or without Cetuximab (C225)
after Curative Resection for Patients with Stage III Colon Cancer (NCCTG-N0147).
See the protocol summary.
Principal Investigators
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Dr. Steven
Alberts
Principal Investigator |
Dr. Steven Alberts and Dr. Frank Sinicrope, North Central Cancer Treatment
Group.
Why This Trial Is Important
Colon cancer is among the most common cancer types in the United States. Surgery
is often used to treat colon cancer, but even with potentially curative
surgery, some cancer cells can remain in the body, especially if cancer has
spread to the surrounding lymph nodes (stage III colon cancer). To fight these
cancer cells, doctors may treat patients with post-operative (adjuvant) chemotherapy.
Biological agents, such as monoclonal antibodies, may also be added to the chemotherapy.
This trial will include six different treatment groups. Patients will be randomly
assigned to receive one of three different combinations of chemotherapy with
or without the monoclonal antibody cetuximab. Cetuximab targets a protein, epidermal
growth factor receptor, that may help some types of cancer cells to grow.
"For patients with lymph node involvement, the recurrence rate after surgery
is historically about 50 to 70 percent," said Dr. Alberts. "Traditional
adjuvant chemotherapy with fluorouracil and leucovorin, however, has produced
definite improvements. Our hope is that the more active agents now available
to us will further reduce the risk of recurrence without producing a lot of
additional side effects compared with current standard therapy.
"By comparing these different regimens, we hope to determine what will
become the state-of-the-art in adjuvant therapy for colon cancer," added
Dr. Alberts.
Notes:
- As of June 1, 2005, this trial has been changed to a comparison of two treatment groups. Each group will receive FOLFOX chemotherapy (a combination of oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin); one of the groups will also be treated with cetuximab.
- As of October 24, 2008, this trial has been temporarily closed to the enrollment of patients aged 70 years or older.
For More Information
See the lists of entry criteria and trial contact information or call the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER
(1-800-422-6237). The call is toll free and completely confidential.
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